British?? MECo 4 cell magazine pouch

Any ideas folk?

One photo shows they will not take a Thompson magazine,  so what other magazine might they be for?

TIA Mike

Try Sten Mag holders. Check here.....http://karkeeweb.com/index.html
Regards, Kevin.

milly66 wrote:Try Sten Mag holders. Check here.....http://karkeeweb.com/index.html
Regards, Kevin.

I have been all through karkeeweb before I posted on here and could find nothing close to this.... but thanks.


If you found anything could you please link to the actual page,  Thanks Mike.

I can ask around, i know a few people that have British 37/44 gear. Not all is posted on the internet.  Not long enough for Lanchester, too long for Thompson, but what size mag, i dont know. With British stamp, a mystery so far. No doubt, someone will know.
Regards, Kevin

milly66 wrote:I can ask around, i know a few people that have British 37/44 gear. Not all is posted on the internet.  Not long enough for Lanchester, too long for Thompson, but what size mag, i dont know. With British stamp, a mystery so far. No doubt, someone will know.
Regards, Kevin

Thanks, I can find nothing close to this on a google search either. Mills made web gear for other governments at times. MECo does not have to mean UK use, but I still can't find anything widening the search.

That pouch reminds of an unexplained webbing set that I recently acquired. The similarities are the types and shade of canvas, the markings, the hardware, and the greenish staining around the hardware.

The braces and belt are marked, but the pocket assemblies are not. I don't know what these pockets were designed to carry.

Overall, the design concept is, arguably, a cross between WE 25 and WE 44.





From what I can see in the photos posted by Mike, there is a set of ammunition pouches (different from mine of course), and a belt center section, probably same as mine. But these pieces have been mated up with WE 44 stuff, and the original braces are gone.

In any case, there must be some relationship here.

I should add that the webbing is quite stiff, and has perhaps been treated by some type of waterproofing or anti-mildew compound.

Wolverine wrote:I should add that the webbing is quite stiff, and has perhaps been treated by some type of waterproofing or anti-mildew compound.

Thank you for your answer.

Unfortunately the pouch I posted is not mine, and I have no other photos. I saw it on a facebook group, and it got me wondering because the FB group was not giving any sensible answers, so I posted on here.

I really was asking out of curiosity, because nothing I googled came back with anything remotely like what I saw.

My best guess for now is that these might be part of some trial series?

Wolverine wrote:My best guess for now is that these might be part of some trial series?

I feel it must be trials webbing, but it seems a bit odd that Stirling SMG with a curved Magazine had started to replace Sten in 1953.

Would you develop webbing to carry straight STEN magazines, when the weapon was already going out of sevice?


I know that Army procurement is not known for its foresight, but to do so would seem a bit stupid?

Hi agan.
How about trials for the Austarlian Owen gun?
I found a small picture that may help on this website...
https://www.sparkefilms.net/ww2-australian-webbing
Also Wolverines pouches may be jungle trials for SLR? in the '50's? Will a SLR/FN Mag fit in these?
Definatly related, same green paint on the snaps.
Regards,
Kevin

Additional to the above....It looks like a 5 cell bag. I must admit that the type of belt ends/3 piece look very much like P40 Cavalry Equipment. Possibly new trial of that equipment in the jungle?
http://karkeeweb.com/patterns/1940/pics/1940_cartridge_carriers.html
Regards,
Kevin.

The pouches will not fit SLR magazines.

OK, Possibly Wolverines are Grenade Pouches?, its a pure guess but relevent seeing the pouches are deep. As for Antarmike, it has to be either 9mm or .45 cal magazine pouches. You say Thompson mags dont fit, the size or length? As for 9mm, sten/Owen, have you tried fitting these, also size or length? Magazine capacity will make a difference. Still looks strikingly similar to M40 Cavalry web gear re the belt set up. All only suggestions from me, hopefully it will lead to an answer.
Regards,
Kevin

milly66 wrote:OK, Possibly Wolverines are Grenade Pouches?, its a pure guess but relevent seeing the pouches are deep. As for Antarmike, it has to be either 9mm or .45 cal magazine pouches. You say Thompson mags dont fit, the size or length? As for 9mm, sten/Owen, have you tried fitting these, also size or length? Magazine capacity will make a difference. Still looks strikingly similar to M40 Cavalry web gear re the belt set up. All only suggestions from me, hopefully it will lead to an answer.
Regards,
Kevin

They are not my pouches, I do not have access to them,   I saw them on another site, and they intrigued me, so I posted what photos, were available.  I simply lifted the photos from elsewhere.

I was trying to identify them out of curiosity.

I have looked at other Owen pouches and nothing comes close,  so if they are a trials pattern for Australia, then they are somewhat different from anything else they used before hand.

The person who first posted them say they would not take a Thompson magazine.  I repeated his comment, he obviously tried because the photo shows a Thompson magazine failing to go into a cell.

If not STEN, Owen or Thompson, that leaves the possiblity they were made by Mills for export to a country using "Greasegun",  UZI or any other straight magazine sub-gun?

I can give no more details because I have not got access to the pouches.

There must be a fair bit more to the story that we just do not know. Since it is pretty certain that these sets are related, there may be other pieces that go with them.

I had another thought regarding the Sterling. Although it has curved magazines, the Canadian Army did issue a pouch for them (WE 82) that did not have curved pockets. They were simply wide enough to hold the curved magazines. That could be the case with these ones too. The timeframe certainly fits.

To add my two cents (which, with inflation, is probably worth less). Along with the export theory, a lot of MP40 were floating around after WWII and indeed issued by countries like France, concurrently with British webbing. Though having said this, I take it that since the Sten magazines do not fit, neither will the MP40? Just a thought...

I agree with Wolverine about the possible curved mags, hence why there is no "full" flap on top of the pouch, like in a Thompson pouch, just a small strap.
Also again i point out the belt type attachment on both items being that of British Pattern 40 Cavalry equipment. Maybe a few questions in the direction of Kharkee Webs website collection, pics contributers may result in some info.....Is a Thompson mag a double stack? Sterling is, unsure of the Sten. if so we may be looking at a single stack magazine to fit into these.
Kevin

The conceptual similarities with 1940 pattern are clear, but probably incidental. The 1925 pattern follows essentially the same scheme, as does the 1944 pattern, with its three-piece belt.

Camonut314 wrote:To add my two cents (which, with inflation, is probably worth less). Along with the export theory, a lot of MP40 were floating around after WWII and indeed issued by countries like France, concurrently with British webbing. Though having said this, I take it that since the Sten magazines do not fit, neither will the MP40? Just a thought...

I would say that if it doesn't fit Sten, it probably wouldn't fit MP 40 either. I think there is a good chance it would fit Sterling.

milly66 wrote:I agree with Wolverine about the possible curved mags, hence why there is no "full" flap on top of the pouch, like in a Thompson pouch, just a small strap.
Also again i point out the belt type attachment on both items being that of British Pattern 40 Cavalry equipment. Maybe a few questions in the direction of Kharkee Webs website collection, pics contributers may result in some info.....Is a Thompson mag a double stack? Sterling is, unsure of the Sten. if so we may be looking at a single stack magazine to fit into these.
Kevin

Stirling and Thompson are both double stack, double feed magazines, STEN  was double stack single feed (which is why it so often misfed and caused a stoppage.)

Camonut314 wrote:To add my two cents (which, with inflation, is probably worth less). Along with the export theory, a lot of MP40 were floating around after WWII and indeed issued by countries like France, concurrently with British webbing. Though having said this, I take it that since the Sten magazines do not fit, neither will the MP40? Just a thought...

I have no idea whether STEN magazine fits or not, I am only told that a Thompson magazine will not fit. There is nothing to say as to whther a STEN mag will fit or not.

P'40 Equipment was used by British forces in Palestine Theater in WW II and I assume left behind in 1948 so my guess is Israeli for Uzi mags

As for Wolverine's Pics again I guess Israeli for their FAL, dates fit for FAL adoption mag fit problem is probably shrinkage.

MECo was the webbing supplier to Israel post 1948